Dear West Coast private vets<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve all been battling financially over the last few years, especially with the high costs you charge us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of the problem is that you\u2019re also doing \u201can Eskom\u201d \u2013 pricing yourselves out of the market into a death spiral, especially for pensioners and lower income groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can\u2019t afford to pay you, or even pay you off, on the exorbitant rates you\u2019ve charged from a few years ago. Yes, I know you\u2019re going to react by saying how much the cost of living is and how expensive it is to run a private practice, and how expensive medicines are and so on. We already know this. We\u2019re battling too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve found the people of the West Coast to be the best part about living here in the last 21 years. I really love them as they make the area so special. They\u2019re considerate, kind, polite and go out of their way to try to help you, even if it\u2019s just a tiny bit. For example, on occasion I\u2019ve been just short of 20 cents or a rand or two at the supermarket till and the customer behind me bails me out and pays for me. Whenever I have the chance I play my part so the next person in need can be helped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Won\u2019t you please consider something similar, such as a sliding scale based on income for those of us who love our animals? Sassa, other low-income earning pensioners and earners are desperate. Why not open a special clinic for these people for the first one-and-a-half hours every day and charge R100 per consultation and medicines at cost? Or medicines at cost plus 10%? Yes, I know I\u2019m asking a lot, but if we all help one another a little it brings huge relief to the whole community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year I paid one of you thousands from a pension of R1 990 pm, a nightmare from hell for months. And to top it all, the death of my pet a few days after your treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SPCA and Animal Welfare Society do a great job, but can\u2019t do everything. Their resources are limited and they can manage only one visit a month to each dorpie<\/i>. We need far more help, but have none to turn to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have the impression that, over the last few years, to the private vets money has taken precedence over animals. Please prove me wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After all, that\u2019s why you went into studying to become a vet in the first place, didn\u2019t you? Because you loved animals so much and wanted to help them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear West Coast private 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